Specialized gyms help over-sensitive (or under-sensitive) kids by Beth Arky
On a gray Sunday afternoon in December, families are flocking to a small, colorful gym housed in a school on a quiet block in Brooklyn. Inside, children are jumping into a ball pit, crashing into mountains of supersized pillows, rolling and bouncing on huge balls, and swinging and spinning wildly inside a cocoon-like sling.
This 877-foot-space would be nirvana to any child—and all are welcome—but in fact it’s a new parent-run, nonprofit sensory gym modeled on occupational therapy facilities. Space No. 1 is the brainchild of Extreme Kids and Crew founder Eliza Factor, a dynamic mother of three who created it as a place for special-needs families to de-stress and have fun in a warm, accepting environment.